TigerNet Wireless

More info

Support

TigerNet Wireless provides flexible and mobile access to MU computing resources and the Internet. Wireless networking technology works by transmitting signals between wireless Network Interface Cards (NICs), located in your computer, and wireless access points (APs), located throughout the campus.

Access

TigerNet Wireless is available in many campus locations. Check our coverage map for specific details.

There are several different standards for wireless technology. The standard deployed defines which type of wireless NIC must be installed in your computer. The campus standard is 802.11b and 802.11g. To connect to TigerNet Wireless, you must have an internal or external wireless NIC.

Most new laptops include an integrated wireless NIC. The Division of IT supports the following internal NICs:

Centrino
True Mobile (including Dell's built-in NICs)
Airport for Macintosh

Computers lacking an internal NIC may use the following supported external NICs:

Orinoco 11a/b/g Gold for Windows
Airport for Macintosh

The Division of IT engineers the wireless network for 30 mw NICs. The Division cannot guarantee access to MU's wireless network when using an unsupported NIC.

Differences Between TigerNet and TigerNet1X

There are two different wireless networks on the MU campus — TigerNet and TigerNet1X.

The TigerNet network uses the WEP access method. TigerNet covers all areas of campus. To access TigerNet, you need to obtain a WEP key and use the key to configure your connection. Visit the IT KnowledgeBase to obtain the WEP key.

TigerNet1X accesses the network via the 802.1X protocol, your SSO ID (PawPrint) and password. Only certain areas of campus are covered by TigerNet1X. However, TigerNet1X offers several advantages over TigerNet:

More secure information transmission
The ability to print to network printers without using VPN
No need to manually enter the WEP key when configuring a connection
No need to change the WEP key when it updates each year

The Division of IT recommends using TigerNet1X, if it's available in your location. MU is moving away from TigerNet — over the course of the next year, the entire wireless network infrastructure will be upgraded to TigerNet1X. Students should use TigerNet1X wherever possible in preparation for this change.

Nevertheless, you should get the new WEP key even if you use TigerNet1X, because the TigerNet1X network is not yet available in all areas of campus. If you use the WEP key, you can still access the network where TigerNet1X is unavailable.

Additional Information

Laptop Versus Desktop Computers

A laptop is the best computer for accessing wireless networking at MU. Although desktop machines can be used, they simply aren't conducive to roaming around the campus. There are also smaller devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and smartphones, that can take advantage of the wireless network.

Wireless Network Security

The Division of IT has enabled 128-bit encryption on the data moving between your computer and the access point. The 128-bit encryption provides a high level of encryption for your data. However, it is up to your discretion to determine whether you're comfortable transmitting highly sensitive or confidential information over the wireless network.

Performance Expectations

Mizzou TigerNet Wireless is a "shared" connection, which means that all users connected to a specific AP share that specific connection. You can expect the wireless network to provide adequate connection speeds to handle the majority of applications you use, such as e-mail, Web browsing, etc. However, large files (such as MP3s) may not transfer as quickly with wireless technology and may impact the performance of wireless service for other users.

Personal Wireless Access Point Installation

Unauthorized APs are prohibited by MU's business policy 5:085. If unauthorized APs are identified (usually by their interference with other services), the owners will be asked to remove them from the network.

University of Missouri
Division of Information Technology
615 Locust Street, Columbia, MO 65211
(573)882-2000